Circle Hooks on tip-ups?

[RJF]

I have not gotten any yet. I read other forums about them. Sounds like it would avoid gut hooking pike. I know they work in the Salt Water World.

[Banditto]

I guess you need to ask yourself if the pike in the area you are fishing are really aggressive? or just nibbling and maybe taking the bait.

Our experience has been that using stinger hooks that are hanging 1" below the minnow has been hooking about 25% of our fish. The pike have been nibbling on the bait, maybe taking the tail in, then leaving. Using the stinger hooks the fish in the lower lip and they don't get off.

[ifish4eyes]

Here's where I think the benitfit would be. You could take all the time in the world. The hook work on a caming action, once it get to the corner of the mouth it hooks the jaw. So being able to let the pike run or do whatever he wants to with the minnow, knowing that the hook will only (suppose to) hook in the corner of its mouth. Works in theory

[DaveW731]

I got my last pike using a circle hook. I THOUGHT I set it correctly, i.e., a gentle pull, vs. a sharp tug. Still, the fish was gut-hooked. I am not sure if that is a limitation of the hook if the fish swallows it deeply enough, or if I still tugged too sharply, when setting the hook.

[Yellowfin]

Circle hook? What do they look like?

[DaveW731]

Yellowfin:
Circle hooks look somewhat like salmon egg hooks, only, with a smooth curve, instead of an angle, at the bend. the effect is that the hook describes an arc of almost 270 degrees. Easiest way to tell the difference is to simply go to a good sporting goods store and look at the package. By comparing them to the other types of hooks, the difference will be more obvious. Something about the design is supposed to make them almost set themselves, when the angler applies tension to the line.

[ifish4eyes]

DaveW731, I bought some but have'nt tried them yet. But it was my understand that you are not to set the hook at all. a smooth gradual retrieve and the hook does all the work. I'll find out this spring.

[DaveW731]

4eyes:
You are right, and as I think about it, I think I did try to set the hook, even if more gently than usual....old habits die hard! If the ice cooperates, I will try simply pulling in the line. Now I have to wonder....if a fish trys to spit the bait, (like pike do, if they feel resistance) will the hook still catch in the corner of the mouth?

[BAMBAM]

http://www.ownerhooks.com/catalog/mutuciclehooks.html
is one place where you can see a circle hook.

http://www.vmchooks.com/circlehooks.html is another place

[pikeslime]

I don't think there is any hook that will prevent you from gut-hooking a Pike once they swallow the bait. It doesn't matter what the design is, you still have to get to it before the fish takes it all the way down. I am planning on switching to slammer tip-ups next year so i can avoid the situation all together.

[BAMBAM]

what is a slammer tip up?:confused:

[pikeslime]

Check out the website:

http://members.aol.com/slamcoinc/

[FishingJoe]

Mr. P. Slime,
You will like the slammer once you get it set up the way you want it. Your best bet is going to be using one of the Quick-Set rigs because the hook will set as soon as the fish hits the bait, regardless of whether or not the bait is in its mouth. I use them for Lakers, so I put FireLine on mine to eliminate the 20 - 30 feet of stretch I was getting (fishing at 100 feet).